An aqueous metal oxide sol slurry has been developed for removal of low dielectric constant materials. The slurry is formed directly in solution utilizing non-dehydrated chemically active metal oxide sols which are formed in a colloidal suspension or dispersion. The oxide sols have not undergone any subsequent drying and the particles are believed to be substantially spherical in structure, dimensionally stable and do not change shape over time. The sol particles are mechanically soft and heavily hydrated which reduces surface damage even in the case where soft polymer or porous dielectric films are polished. The sol particles are formed of a chemically active metal oxide material, or combinations thereof, or can be coated on chemically inactive oxide material such as silicon dioxide or can be coformed therewith. The oxide sols can include a bi-modal particle distribution. The slurry can be utilized in CMP processes, with or without conditioning.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A gel composition for polioshing a low dielectric constant material, comprising: a plurality of aqueous abrasive particles comprising at least one metal oxide that is chemically reactive with the low dielectric material, wherein the plurality of particles are formed directly in a solution and wherein the plurality of particles are retained in the solution before formation of the gel composition.
2. The gel composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal oxide comprises lanthanide oxides, aluminum oxides, cerium oxides, antimony oxides, tin oxides, zirconium oxides, chromium oxides, manganese oxides, zinc oxides, iron oxides, hafnium oxides, titanium oxides or mixtures thereof.
3. The gel composition of claim 2 , wherein the at least one metal oxide comprises Al 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , Sb 2 O 5 , SnO 2 , Cr 2 O 3 , MnO 2 , ZnO, Fe 2 O 3 , HfO 2 , TiO 2 or mixtures thereof.
4. The gel composition of claim 1 , further comprising at least one oxide that is chemically unreactive with the low dielectric contact material.
5. The gel composition of claim 4 , wherein the chemically unreactive oxide is SiO 2 .
6. The gel composition of claim 2 , wherein the at least one metal oxide comprises ZrO 2 .
7. The gel composition of claim 6 , wherein the ZrO 2 abrasive particles are monoclinic ZrO 2 .
8. The gel composition of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive particles have a diameter from approximately 3 nanometers to approximately 1,000 nanometers.
9. The gel composition of claim 8 , wherein the abrasive particles have a diameter from approximately 50 nanometers to approximately 250 nanometers.
10. The gel composition of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive particles have a multi-modal size distribution.
11. The gel composition of claim 10 , wherein the abrasive particles have a bi-modal size distribution, including a plurality of small diameter particles and a second lesser amount of a plurality of large diameter particles.
12. The gel composition of claim 11 , wherein the mode of the smaller diameter particles is from about 5 nanometers to about 45 nanometers and the mode of the large diameter particles exceed about 40 nanometers.
13. The gel composition of claim 12 , wherein the small diameter particle mode is about 20 nanometers.
14. The gel composition of claim 12 , wherein the large diameter mode is from about 40 nanometers to about 250 nanometers.
15. The gel composition of claim 14 , wherein the large diameter particle mode is from about 50 nanometers to about 150 nanometers.
16. The gel composition of claim 12 , wherein more than approximately 90% of the particles comprise small diameter particles.
17. A low dielectric constant material prepared using the gel composition of claim 1 .
18. The low dielectric constant material of claim 17 , wherein the material has a dielectric constant of less than about 2.8.
19. The low dielectric constant material of claim 17 , wherein the material comprises an organic compound.
20. The low dielectric constant material of claim 19 , wherein the organic compound comprises an organic polymer.
21. The low dielectric constant material of claim 7 , wherein the low dielectric constant material comprises at least one material that comprises poly(arlene)ether, poly(naphthalene)ether, polimid, poly(benzocyclobutene), perflourocyclobutane, poly(quinoline), hydridosilsesquixane, alkylsilsesquioxane, polytetrafluoroethylene, parylene-N, parylene-F, siloxane, organic substituted silazane, quinoxaline and derivatives, co-polymers or mixtures thereof.
22. The low dielectric constant material of claim 20 , wherein the organic polymer comprises poly(arlene)ether, poly(naphthalene)ether, polimid, poly(benzocyclobutene), perflourocyclobutane, poly(quinoline), polytetrafluoroethylene, parylene-N, parylene-F, quinoxaline and derivatives, co-polymers or mixtures thereof.
23. The low dielectric material constant material is spun-on to a substrate.
24. A method of forming a gel composition according to claim 1 comprising: forming at least one metal oxide particle directly in solution, wherein the at least one metal oxide particle comprises a metal oxide material and is chemically reactive with a low dielectric constant material; adding de-ionized water to the solution; adjusting the pH of the solution to impart colloidal stability to the solution; and adjusting the physical properties of the solution to form a gel composition.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the at least one metal oxide comprises lanthanide oxides, aluminum oxides, cerium oxides, antimony oxides, tin oxides, zirconium oxides, chromium oxides, manganese oxides, zinc oxides, iron oxides, hafnium oxides, titanium oxides or mixtures thereof.
26. The method of claim 24 , wherein the at least one metal oxide comprises Al 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , Sb 2 O 5 , SnO 2 , Cr 2 O 3 , MnO 2 , ZnO, Fe 2 O 3 , HfO 2 , TiO 2 or mixtures thereof.
27. The method of claim 24 , wherein forming at least one metal oxide particle in a solution further comprises forming at least one oxide that is chemically unreactive with the low dielectric contact material.
28. The method of claim 24 , wherein forming at least one metal oxide particle in a solution further comprises forming a coating of at least one chemically reactive metal oxide on an at least one chemically unreactive oxide particle.
29. The method of claim 27 , or 28 wherein the chemically unreactive oxide is SiO 2 .
30. The method of claim 24 , wherein the low dielectric constant material comprises an organic compound.
31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the organic compound comprises an organic compound.
32. The method of claim 24 , wherein the low dielectric constant material comprises at least one material that comprises poly(arlene)ether, poly(naphthalene)ether, polimid, poly(benzocyclobutene), perflourcyclobutane, poly(quinoline), hydridosilsesquixane, alkylsilsesquioxane, polytetrafluoroethylene, parylene-N, parylene-F, siloxane, organic substituted silazane, quinoxaline and derivatives, co-polymers or mixtures thereof.
33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the organic polymer comprises poly(arlene)ether, poly(naphthalene)ether, polimid, poly(benzocyclobutene), perflourcyclobutane, poly(quinoline), polytetrafluoroethylene, parylene-N, parylene-F, quinoxaline and derivatives, co-polymers or mixtures thereof.
34. The method of claim 24 , wherein the at least one metal oxide particle comprises ZrO 2 .
35. The method of claim 24 , wherein the low dielectric constant material is spun-on to a substrate.
36. A compliant polishing substrate for polishing a low dielectric constant material, comprising: a plurality of aqueous abrasive particles comprising at least one metal oxide that is chemically reactive with the low dielectric material, wherein the plurality of particles are formed directly in a solution and wherein the plurality of particles are retained in the solution before formation of the compliant polishing substrate; and a substrate matrix, wherein the aqueous abrasive particles are incorporated into the substrate matrix.
37. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 36 , wherein the at least one metal oxide comprises lanthanide oxides, aluminum oxides, cerium oxides, antimony oxides, tin oxides, zirconium oxides, chromium oxides, manganese oxides, zinc oxides, iron oxides, hafnium oxides, titanium oxides or mixtures thereof.
38. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 36 , wherein the at least one metal oxide comprises Al 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , Sb 2 O 5 , SnO 2 , Cr 2 O 3 , MnO 2 , ZnO, Fe 2 O 3 , HfO 2 , TiO 2 or mixtures thereof.
39. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 36 , further comprising at least one oxide that is chemically unreactive with the low dielectric contact material.
40. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 39 , wherein the chemically unreactive oxide is SiO 2 .
41. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 40 , wherein the at least one metal oxide comprises ZrO 2 .
42. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 41 , wherein the ZrO 2 abrasive particles are monoclinic ZrO 2 .
43. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 36 , wherein the abrasive particles have a diameter from approximately 3 nanometers to approximately 1,000 nanometers.
44. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 43 , wherein the abrasive particles have a diameter from approximately 50 nanometers to approximately 250 nanometers.
45. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 36 , wherein the abrasive particles have a multi-modal size distribution.
46. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 45 , wherein the abrasive particles have a bi-modal size disttribution, including a plurality of small diameter particles and a second lesser amount of a plurality of large diameter particles.
47. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 46 , wherein the mode of the small diameter particles is from about 5 nanometers to about 45 nanometers and the mode of the large diameter particles exceed about 40 nanometers.
48. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 47 , wherein the small diameter particle mode is about 20 nanometers.
49. The compliant polishing substrate substrate of claim 47 , wherein the large diameter particle mode is from about 40 nanometers to about 250 nanometers.
50. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 49 , wherein the large diameter particle mode is from about 50 nanometers to about 150 nanometers.
51. The compliant polishing substrate of claim 47 , wherein more than approximately 90% of the particles comprise small diameter particles.
52. A low dielectric constant material prepared using the compliant polishing substrate of claim 57 .
53. The low dielectric constant material of claim 52 , wherein the material has a dielectric constant of less than about 2.8.
54. The low dielectric constant material of claim 52 , wherein the material comprises an organic compound.
55. The low dielectric constant material of claim 54 , wherein the organic compound comprises an organic polymer.
56. The low dielectric constant material of claim 52 , wherein the low dielectric constant material comprises at least one material that comprises poly(arlene)ether, poly(naphthalene)ether, polimid, poly(benzocyclobutene), perflourocyclobutane, poly(quinoline), hydridosilsesquixane, alkylsipsesquioxane, polytetrafluoroethylene, parylene-N,parylene-F, siloxane, organic substituted silazane, quinoxaline and derivatives, co-polymers or mixtures thereof.
57. The low dielectric constant material of claim 55 , wherein the organic polymer comprises poly(arlene)ether, poly(napthalene)ether, polimid, poly(benzocyclobutene), perflourocyclobutane, poly(quinoline), polytetrafluoroethylene, parylene-N, parylene-F, quinoxaline and derivatives, co-polymers or mixtures thereof.
58. The low dielectric material of claim 52 , wherein the low dielectric constant material is spun-on to a substrate.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 7, 2002
April 20, 2004
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.